Would-Be Homeowners In Bashkortostan On Hunger Strike

UFA, Russia -- Five women in Ufa, the capital of the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, have begun a hunger strike demanding overdue apartments they have paid for, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.

The women want Bashkortostan's Housing Construction Fund to sign new contracts with them specifying the exact date when the construction of their new homes will be completed.

The construction of a new apartment complex called "Green Coast" started in Ufa in 2006. People who purchased apartments before they were built were told they would be ready to move into by 2008, but construction is still in progress.

The would-be homeowners already staged a hunger strike in March. The local authorities then pledged to intervene and allocated additional funds to expedite the completion of the complex.

However, the construction company is demanding additional money from the buyers, saying that property prices have changed since 2006.